On the frontlines: Ali Hamieh updates on Beirut Airport cyber security incident

The caretaker Public Works and Transport Minister, Ali Hamieh, affirmed on Monday that immediately upon the cyber breach at Beirut Airport, the relevant authorities were invited to an open meeting. Direct communication was established with experts, and security agencies were present.

During a press conference, he pointed out the possibility of categorizing the breach at the airport as a cyber attack.

He emphasized that security agencies are continuing their work to identify the nature of the breach, its source, and the extent of the damage to the network.

Hamieh stated, "There is no answer as to whether the breach occurred internally or externally, and the security agencies will reveal the answer after a few days."

He added, "The airport is operational, and some damages occurred, which have been contained. Work to address the damages began immediately upon their occurrence and is still ongoing."

Furthermore, he clarified that among the established measures is restoring the airport to its normal operation.

He noted that in 2018, a cyber security strategy was approved for Lebanon, but it has not been accompanied by implementing regulations and has not been executed yet.

He called for activating this strategy, stating that "administrative negligence has no connection to what happened since it is a known breach that affects entire countries."